US11924615B2 - Hearing aid, antenna for a hearing aid, and method for producing a hearing aid - Google Patents

Hearing aid, antenna for a hearing aid, and method for producing a hearing aid Download PDF

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Publication number
US11924615B2
US11924615B2 US17/682,071 US202217682071A US11924615B2 US 11924615 B2 US11924615 B2 US 11924615B2 US 202217682071 A US202217682071 A US 202217682071A US 11924615 B2 US11924615 B2 US 11924615B2
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Prior art keywords
antenna
housing shell
hearing aid
housing
arm
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US17/682,071
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US20220279293A1 (en
Inventor
Hamed Hasani
Oliver Nipp
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Sivantos Pte Ltd
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Sivantos Pte Ltd
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Assigned to Sivantos Pte. Ltd. reassignment Sivantos Pte. Ltd. ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: Hasani, Hamed, NIPP, OLIVER
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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R1/00—Details of transducers, loudspeakers or microphones
    • H04R1/10—Earpieces; Attachments therefor ; Earphones; Monophonic headphones
    • H04R1/1016—Earpieces of the intra-aural type
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R25/00—Deaf-aid sets, i.e. electro-acoustic or electro-mechanical hearing aids; Electric tinnitus maskers providing an auditory perception
    • H04R25/60—Mounting or interconnection of hearing aid parts, e.g. inside tips, housings or to ossicles
    • H04R25/609—Mounting or interconnection of hearing aid parts, e.g. inside tips, housings or to ossicles of circuitry
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
    • H01Q1/00—Details of, or arrangements associated with, antennas
    • H01Q1/12—Supports; Mounting means
    • H01Q1/22—Supports; Mounting means by structural association with other equipment or articles
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
    • H01Q1/00—Details of, or arrangements associated with, antennas
    • H01Q1/27—Adaptation for use in or on movable bodies
    • H01Q1/273—Adaptation for carrying or wearing by persons or animals
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
    • H01Q1/00—Details of, or arrangements associated with, antennas
    • H01Q1/36—Structural form of radiating elements, e.g. cone, spiral, umbrella; Particular materials used therewith
    • H01Q1/38—Structural form of radiating elements, e.g. cone, spiral, umbrella; Particular materials used therewith formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R25/00—Deaf-aid sets, i.e. electro-acoustic or electro-mechanical hearing aids; Electric tinnitus maskers providing an auditory perception
    • H04R25/55—Deaf-aid sets, i.e. electro-acoustic or electro-mechanical hearing aids; Electric tinnitus maskers providing an auditory perception using an external connection, either wireless or wired
    • H04R25/554—Deaf-aid sets, i.e. electro-acoustic or electro-mechanical hearing aids; Electric tinnitus maskers providing an auditory perception using an external connection, either wireless or wired using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R25/00—Deaf-aid sets, i.e. electro-acoustic or electro-mechanical hearing aids; Electric tinnitus maskers providing an auditory perception
    • H04R25/65—Housing parts, e.g. shells, tips or moulds, or their manufacture
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R31/00—Apparatus or processes specially adapted for the manufacture of transducers or diaphragms therefor
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R2225/00—Details of deaf aids covered by H04R25/00, not provided for in any of its subgroups
    • H04R2225/023—Completely in the canal [CIC] hearing aids
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R2225/00—Details of deaf aids covered by H04R25/00, not provided for in any of its subgroups
    • H04R2225/51—Aspects of antennas or their circuitry in or for hearing aids
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R2460/00—Details of hearing devices, i.e. of ear- or headphones covered by H04R1/10 or H04R5/033 but not provided for in any of their subgroups, or of hearing aids covered by H04R25/00 but not provided for in any of its subgroups
    • H04R2460/17—Hearing device specific tools used for storing or handling hearing devices or parts thereof, e.g. placement in the ear, replacement of cerumen barriers, repair, cleaning hearing devices

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a hearing aid, to an antenna for the hearing aid, and to a method for producing such a hearing aid.
  • a hearing aid is typically used to output an audio signal to a user of the hearing aid.
  • the output is effected by way of an output transducer, usually acoustically via airborne noise by means of a so-called receiver, which is also referred to as a loudspeaker.
  • a special design of a hearing aid is used to care for a user with a hearing deficit.
  • the hearing aid has at least one acoustic input transducer, typically a microphone, and a control unit.
  • the control unit is designed to process an input signal, which is generated by the input transducer from ambient sound, and thus to at least partially compensate for the hearing deficit of the user.
  • the output transducer is designed for the mechanical or electrical coupling of the audio signal into the sense of hearing of the user (for example a cochlear implant).
  • hearing aid also includes devices such as so-called tinnitus maskers, headsets, headphones, and the like, for example.
  • a hearing aid typically has an earpiece, which is inserted into an auditory canal of the user and then closes it in relation to the surroundings. In other words: the earpiece is worn in the ear.
  • CIC devices CIC: “completely in-the-canal”
  • the hearing aid itself is conceived as an earpiece as a whole and then has a housing which is worn in the ear. Due to the very small structural form of hearing aids in general, especially in conjunction with the earpiece, the size of which is restricted by the auditory canal, the installation space for housing the various components of the hearing aid is very restricted. This is particularly problematic if the hearing aid has an antenna, for signal transmission via a radio connection, for example, with another hearing aid or an auxiliary device. Any installation space restriction also restricts the design freedom and the transmission properties of an antenna.
  • a hearing aid having an improved antenna and such an antenna.
  • the antenna is to have the most advantageous possible transmission properties and is to utilize the available installation space in the hearing aid as optimally as possible. It is a further object to provide a method for producing such a hearing aid.
  • a hearing aid comprising:
  • a housing having a housing shell to be worn in an ear of a user
  • said antenna being configured for signal transmission via a radio connection
  • said housing shell having an inner side
  • said antenna being inserted into said housing shell and extending along said inner side of said housing shell.
  • the objects of the invention are achieved by a hearing aid with the above features, by a corresponding antenna, and by a method for producing the hearing aid.
  • the hearing aid has a housing and an antenna.
  • the housing has a housing shell, which is also referred to as a “shell.”
  • the housing shell is used to be worn in the ear, i.e., when the hearing aid is used as intended, the housing shell is inserted into the auditory canal of a user.
  • the specific position inside the auditory canal is dependent on the specific structural form of the hearing aid.
  • the human auditory canal in general has two curves, the outer curve is also referred to as the first curve, the curve located farther inward in the direction of the eardrum is also referred to as the second curve.
  • it is arranged at different points along the auditory canal when it is used as intended or even partially or completely outside the auditory canal.
  • the housing furthermore in particular has a cover plate, which is also referred to as a “faceplate” and which closes the housing shell.
  • the cover plate faces out of the auditory canal when used as intended and suitably has an interface, for example, one or more control elements, for operating the hearing aid.
  • the cover plate is preferably removable, for example pivotable, to open the housing and to reach the interior of the hearing aid, for example, to change a battery.
  • the cover plate is attached to the housing shell, both jointly form the housing of the hearing aid.
  • the antenna is designed for signal transmission via a radio connection.
  • the specific design of the radio connection is initially incidental, it is essential that the antenna is designed for signal transmission.
  • the radio connection is, for example, a Bluetooth connection, Wi-Fi connection, RF connection, or the like, the antenna is then accordingly a Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, RF, or other antenna.
  • the antenna is in particular bidirectional, i.e., both a transmitting antenna and a receiving antenna.
  • the radio connection exists, for example, with another hearing aid, for example another individual device of a binaural hearing aid having two individual devices, or with an auxiliary device, e.g., a smartphone, a television, or a remote control.
  • the antenna In operation, the antenna generally emits electromagnetic radiation and/or receives it, especially via a transmitting and receiving point of the antenna.
  • the transmitting and receiving point is also referred to as an excitation point.
  • the frequency range of the radiation is dependent on the specific embodiment of the radio connection for which the antenna is designed.
  • the housing shell has an inner side, with an inner surface.
  • the inner side of the housing shell faces inward, thus into the inside of the housing, and encloses an interior of the housing.
  • One or more components of the hearing aid are housed in this interior, in particular at least one microphone, a receiver, a battery, or a control unit or a combination thereof.
  • the antenna is inserted into the housing shell and extends along the inner side, preferably along the inner surface and substantially flush with the inner surface.
  • the antenna then follows an inside profile of the housing shell.
  • the antenna preferably presses against the inner side of the housing shell, thus clings to it uniformly, preferably completely, i.e., in particular not solely in sections.
  • the antenna suitably presses in a form-fitting manner against the inside of the housing shell, i.e., against its inner surface.
  • the antenna is applied optimally to the housing shell and follows it.
  • the antenna in particular forms a separate layer or ply inside the housing shell and along the inner side of the housing shell.
  • the special embodiment and arrangement of the antenna enables an optimal installation space utilization.
  • the antenna is not in the way of the remaining components inside the housing, but rather in particular extends around them.
  • a maximum area for the antenna is provided by the arrangement of the antenna along the inner side, so that the antenna can be dimensioned to be particularly large and high-performance.
  • the antenna can also be designed particularly freely due to its special arrangement, so that greatly varying antenna types are implementable.
  • the antenna in the interior of the housing is in particular the component located farthest outward, i.e., all other components inside the housing shell are also enclosed by the antenna.
  • the antenna therefore more or less forms a partition layer between housing shell and other components therein.
  • the antenna is thus well accessible to signals from or to the outside and the radio connection is accordingly minimally disturbed by the remaining components in the housing shell.
  • the antenna is simply inserted into the housing shell. This is particularly simple and cost-effective.
  • the antenna is in particular not just integrated into the housing shell, so that a complex multicomponent injection molding method or method for integrating the antenna into the housing shell is not necessary.
  • the insertion is in particular reversible, i.e., the antenna is also removable from the housing shell again and separable therefrom in a simple manner.
  • the antenna is preferably an independent component, which is inserted into the housing shell.
  • the antenna is thus in particular produced separately from the housing shell, i.e., the housing shell and the antenna are produced independently of one another and then assembled.
  • the housing shell is produced as an injection molded part independently of the antenna.
  • the antenna is in particular not manufactured or connected monolithically with the housing shell, but rather is fundamentally independent of the housing shell. This significantly facilitates the manufacturing, because the antenna is produced separately as a simple component and then only inserted if needed into the housing shell.
  • the housing shell is preferably a standard component, for mass production.
  • the housing shell is suitable in principle for use in various auditory canals and accordingly is in particular not a component produced individually for a single user.
  • the housing shell is a so-called “one-size-fits-all/most” component.
  • the antenna is preferably also a standard component, the above statements apply accordingly.
  • the hearing aid is used in particular to output an audio signal to a user of the hearing aid.
  • the output takes place by means of an output transducer, preferably by means of a receiver.
  • the hearing aid is preferably designed to care for a user having a hearing deficit and for this purpose has at least one acoustic input transducer, preferably a microphone, and a control unit.
  • the control unit is designed to process an input signal, which is generated by the input transducer from ambient sound, and to output it via the output transducer to thus at least partially compensate for the hearing deficit of the user.
  • hearing aid also additionally includes devices such as so-called tinnitus maskers, headsets, headphones, and the like, for example, however, a hearing aid to care for a user having a hearing deficit is presumed hereinafter without restriction of the generality.
  • the hearing aid is preferably a CIC device or an IIC device.
  • CIC and IIC identify two particularly compact structural forms of hearing aids.
  • CIC completely in the canal
  • IIC the hearing aid is inserted into the auditory canal in such a way that the housing ends toward the outside in the outer part of the auditory canal. The hearing aid is thus hardly visible from the outside.
  • IIC “invisible in the canal”
  • the hearing aid is inserted even deeper than a CIC device into the auditory canal, in particular into the region of the second curve of the auditory canal, thus even behind the first curve, so that the hearing aid is no longer visible from the outside.
  • the antenna is designed as a flexible printed circuit board having a conductor track structure.
  • the flexible printed circuit board has a carrier layer which is sufficiently thin to be flexible.
  • the carrier layer is preferably between 20 ⁇ m and 200 ⁇ m thick for this purpose.
  • the printed circuit board is preferably also flexibly elastic.
  • the printed circuit board is in particular also reversibly deformable.
  • the conductor track structure implements those electrical properties of the printed circuit board which are required for an antenna.
  • the conductor track structure is therefore also referred to as an antenna structure.
  • the conductor track structure is applied to the carrier layer or embedded therein.
  • the conductor track structure in particular consists of a conductive material or a combination of conductive materials, for example in general a metal or especially copper.
  • a flexible printed circuit board is very particularly suitable as an antenna, since such a printed circuit board is producible in a simple manner and in particular as planar and will also thus be produced and is then suitably folded easily to finally be inserted into the housing shell. Separate fasteners are initially not necessary as such and are absent in one advantageous embodiment, in another embodiment, the printed circuit board is additionally fastened, for example on the housing and/or on a component therein.
  • the printed circuit board is, for example, soldered, adhesively bonded, or plugged or the like.
  • the conductor track structure In the inserted state, the conductor track structure preferably faces outward and is thus located between the carrier layer and the inner side, so that the conductor track structure is optimally protected.
  • an inverted arrangement in which the conductor track structure faces inward is also possible and is suitable in principle.
  • the antenna is a wire or a stamped part, produced from a conductive material.
  • the wire is accordingly brought into shape suitably to implement an antenna.
  • the wire is in particular a metal wire.
  • the stamped part is, for example, stamped out of a metal foil or metal-coated film.
  • the wire or the stamped part then in particular replaces the above-mentioned conductor track structure and in particular also does not require an additional carrier layer.
  • the wire or the stamped part emulates the above-described conductor track structure and is thus identical thereto in shape.
  • the statements on the conductor track structure accordingly apply similarly to a wire or a stamped part.
  • the same shape is suitable in principle for the conductor track structure, the wire, and the stamped part, the respective antennas essentially differ due to the different production.
  • a conductor track structure, a wire, and/or a stamped part can be combined with one another as desired, so that different parts of the antenna are then produced in different ways and designed differently.
  • the housing shell is fundamentally formed like a shell, having a base, which extends when used as intended into the auditory canal, and having an opening, which faces outward and is in particular closed using the cover plate.
  • the housing shell is formed tapered in the direction of the base.
  • a sound outlet is arranged at the base, for example a hole, via which sound is output from the receiver in the direction of the eardrum.
  • the housing shell is then roughly formed like a tunnel, having a tapering diameter.
  • the housing shell is then designed to be ring-shaped, wherein the cross section is not necessarily circular, rather “ring-shaped” is to be understood more generally as a closed loop.
  • the housing shell and thus also its inner side are formed bent or curved, thus have a bent profile.
  • the antenna is bent at least once and thus in particular adapted to a bend or curve of the inner side.
  • the antenna thus not only extends in a small and possibly planar subsection along the housing shell, but rather is dimensioned so that a bend or curve is also covered.
  • the antenna preferably even extends completely around the interior and is accordingly guided around for this purpose one time completely along the inner side.
  • the antenna is folded into a funnel shape to extend along the housing shell.
  • the antenna is more or less rolled up from a planar state to form a funnel in this case and then inserted into the housing shell.
  • the antenna is generally suitably formed in a strip shape, preferably U-shaped, having two ends, which are guided toward one another during the folding and then possibly also overlap.
  • the antenna extends at most once around the interior, and is thus in particular not folded in multiple plies.
  • the folded antenna then has two openings which face approximately in the direction of the auditory canal. One opening faces in the direction of the housing shell, the other in the direction of the base of the housing shell. Since the antenna follows the housing shell, the antenna also roughly follows an inner wall of the auditory canal in the inserted state of the hearing aid.
  • the antenna is arranged completely inside the housing shell.
  • the antenna thus in particular does not protrude out of the housing and in particular is also not visible from the outside.
  • the antenna is thus advantageously concealed.
  • the antenna is a dipole antenna, having two arms which each form one antenna pole.
  • the antenna poles are used to transmit and/or receive signals.
  • the two arms are each manufactured from an electrically conductive material.
  • a capacitance is formed on each of the arms at the end.
  • the antenna is then a dipole antenna having capacitive load.
  • the two capacitances are each in particular formed by a capacitor which is connected to the respective arm.
  • the antenna is preferably a folded dipole.
  • a respective arm is formed from two conductors which extend adjacent to one another. The two conductors are in particular approximately equal in length (i.e., at most 20% difference).
  • One of the two conductors of the arm begins at the transmitting and receiving point of the antenna and ends at the capacitance, the other of the two conductors begins at the capacitance and ends at a corresponding conductor of the other arm.
  • the other arm having capacitance is designed similarly thereto.
  • a respective capacitance is expediently formed U-shaped, having a middle leg, starting from which two side legs extend.
  • the two conductors of an arm are then connected to the middle leg.
  • the two side legs each extend in the direction of the two conductors, in particular in parallel thereto, and on opposite sides of the two conductors, so that the two conductors are located at the ends between the side legs. This applies similarly to the other arm.
  • an inductance is formed on each of the arms at the end.
  • the antenna is then a dipole antenna having inductive load.
  • a respective arm is formed from a single conductor having a meandering profile, so that the respective arm forms an inductance at the same time.
  • the inductance suitably has 5-10 bends (also referred to as “turns” in English). This applies similarly to the other arm.
  • the two arms are in particular galvanically isolated from one another and run together at a transmitting and receiving point of the antenna. This transmitting and receiving point also marks a point of the least distance of the two conductors to one another.
  • the arms each in particular follow the in particular strip-shaped profile of the antenna, so that in the inserted state, the arms accordingly extend around the interior of the housing shell.
  • the two arms and the two capacitances or inductances are preferably mirror symmetrical to one another.
  • a nonsymmetrical embodiment is also suitable in principle, however, in this case the antenna expediently also has a symmetry element (also referred to as a balun).
  • the antenna is a frame antenna (also referred to as a “loop antenna” in English), having two arms, which run together on a first side to form the transmitting and receiving point and which are connected on a second side, which is opposite to the first side, to a capacitance.
  • the capacitance is in particular formed by a capacitor, having two electrodes, each one of which is connected to one of the arms.
  • a uniform power distribution is achieved within the antenna by means of the capacitance.
  • the capacitance is simply formed by two opposing ends of the arms and a gap located in between.
  • the capacitance is formed as a single ply, having two electrodes which are located jointly in one ply of the antenna and each have multiple fingers, wherein the fingers of the two electrodes intermesh (also referred to as a “interdigital capacitor” in English).
  • the capacitance is formed as two plies, having two electrodes which are arranged in different plies of the antenna. One of the electrodes is then expediently connected by means of a through contact (so-called “via”) to one of the arms.
  • a through contact so-called “via” to one of the arms.
  • the antenna is a printed circuit board or the like, it has an upper side and a lower side which each form one ply of the printed circuit board. The through contact then extends through the carrier layer and connects the two plies.
  • the two arms are expediently jointly located in one plane or also ply. This is particularly simple to implement in manufacturing, especially in the case of a printed circuit board or the like.
  • the respective possibly used capacitances or inductances are each either embodied as a separate component, which is inserted into the antenna, or are already integrated therein during its production, for example printed on.
  • the antenna has a first arm and a second arm, wherein only the first arm is arranged inside the housing shell.
  • the second arm is formed along a pullout aid of the housing, for example integrated in the pullout aid, for pulling the housing out of the ear.
  • the pullout aid is, for example, a thread or handle, for example made of plastic, and extends outward and away from the housing, so that the pullout handle can be grasped by the user in the inserted state to then pull the entire hearing aid out of the auditory canal by pulling.
  • the pullout aid thus represents a type of boom and is therefore particularly suitable for housing at least a part of the antenna.
  • the pullout aid is expediently rigid for this purpose.
  • the antenna which has an arm along the pullout aid is typically a nonsymmetrical antenna, in which the two arms are in particular excited differentially, and then expediently has a symmetry element to improve the transmission properties.
  • the second arm is, for example, a single wire or is printed as a conductor track on the pullout aid or is applied in another way to the pullout aid or integrated therein.
  • the antenna having an arm along the pullout aid is designed either as a dipole antenna or as a monopole antenna.
  • the first arm is suitably designed as a ground surface and forms a ground potential, so that the antenna is a monopole antenna having the second arm as an antenna pole.
  • a symmetry element is not necessary, therefore such an element is expediently omitted.
  • the ground surface is arranged inside the housing shell, it in particular also forms an advantageous shielding layer around the remaining components, which are arranged inside the housing shell, so that these components are shielded against interference from the outside.
  • the ground surface is preferably designed in such a way that it has two ends, which are connected to one another in the inserted state of the antenna, so that the ground surface is formed ring-shaped or tunnel-like.
  • FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view a hearing aid
  • FIG. 2 shows a housing shell and an antenna of the hearing aid from FIG. 1 ;
  • FIG. 3 shows another view of the housing shell and the antenna from FIG. 2 ;
  • FIG. 4 shows still another view of the housing shell and the antenna from FIG. 2 ;
  • FIG. 5 shows a variant of the antenna from FIG. 2 ;
  • FIG. 6 shows the antenna from FIG. 5 in the assembled state
  • FIG. 7 shows a further variant of the antenna from FIG. 2 ;
  • FIG. 8 shows a further variant of the antenna from FIG. 2 ;
  • FIG. 9 shows a variant of a capacitance of the antenna from FIG. 8 ;
  • FIG. 10 shows a further variant of a capacitance of the antenna from FIG. 8 ;
  • FIG. 11 shows the hearing aid from FIG. 1 with a further variant of the antenna from FIG. 2 ;
  • FIG. 12 shows an arm of the antenna from FIG. 11 .
  • the hearing aid 2 is a CIC device here by way of example.
  • the statements made here also apply similarly to other hearing aid types.
  • the hearing aid 2 has a housing 4 and an antenna 6 .
  • the antenna 6 is only shown in cross section in FIG. 1 .
  • the housing 4 has a housing shell 8 , which is also referred to as a “shell”.
  • An exemplary embodiment of the housing shell 8 and the antenna 6 from FIG. 1 is shown in different perspective views in FIGS. 2 - 4 ; the special shape of the antenna 6 is also clear therefrom.
  • the housing shell 8 is used to be worn in the ear, i.e., when the hearing aid 2 is used as intended, the housing shell 8 is inserted into the auditory canal of a user.
  • the housing 4 furthermore has a cover plate 10 , which is also referred to as a “faceplate” and which closes the housing shell 8 .
  • the cover plate 10 faces out of the auditory canal and has, for example, an interface, for example one or more control elements 12 , for operating the hearing aid 2 .
  • the cover plate 10 is also removable, for example pivotable, to open the housing 4 and to allow access to the inside of the hearing aid 2 , for example to change a battery 14 .
  • the cover plate 10 is attached to the housing shell 8 , the two jointly form the housing 4 of the hearing aid 2 .
  • the antenna 6 is designed for signal transmission via a radio connection.
  • the specific embodiment of the radio connection is initially also incidental.
  • Various exemplary embodiments of the antenna 6 are shown in FIGS. 5 - 8 , 11 and 12 .
  • the antenna 6 is bidirectional in each case here, i.e., both a transmitting antenna and a receiving antenna.
  • the antenna 6 generally emits electromagnetic radiation and/or receives it, especially via a transmitting and receiving point 16 of the antenna.
  • the transmitting and receiving point 16 is also referred to as an excitation point.
  • the housing shell 8 has an inner side 18 .
  • the inner side 18 faces inward, into the inside of the housing 4 , and encloses an interior 20 of the housing 4 .
  • One or more components of the hearing aid 2 are housed in this interior 20 , for example, at least one microphone 22 , a receiver 24 , a battery 14 , and a control unit 26 here.
  • the antenna 6 is inserted into the housing shell 8 and extends along the inner side 18 .
  • FIGS. 2 - 4 do not yet show the final state as in FIG. 1 , but rather the insertion of the antenna 6 into the housing shell 8 .
  • the antenna 6 follows an inside profile of the housing shell 8 and presses against the inner side 18 of the housing shell 8 in the inserted state. In the present case, the antenna 6 presses in a form-fitting manner against the inside of the housing shell 8 and follows it.
  • the antenna 6 moreover forms a separate layer or ply inside the housing shell 8 and along the inner side 18 and extends around the remaining components.
  • the antenna 6 in the interior of the housing 4 is also the component located farthest outward, i.e., all other components inside the housing shell 8 are also enclosed by the antenna 6 . This can be seen particularly well in FIG. 1 .
  • the antenna 6 thus more or less forms a partition layer between housing shell 8 and other components therein.
  • the antenna 6 is also an independent component, which is inserted into the housing shell 8 , in the exemplary embodiments shown.
  • the antenna 6 is produced separately from the housing shell 8 .
  • the housing shell 8 is a standard component in the present case, for mass production, and is fundamentally suitable for use in various auditory canals and is accordingly in particular not a component produced individually for a single user.
  • the hearing aid 2 is used to output an audio signal to a user of the hearing aid.
  • the output takes place by means of an output transducer, here by means of the receiver 24 .
  • the hearing aid 2 shown here is moreover especially designed to care for a user having a hearing deficit and for this purpose has at least one acoustic input transducer, the microphone 22 here, and the control unit 26 , which is designed to process an input signal, which is generated by the input transducer from ambient sound, and output it via the output transducer, to thus at least partially compensate for the hearing deficit of the user.
  • the statements made here also apply to other devices, e.g., so-called tinnitus maskers, headsets, headphones, and the like.
  • the hearing aid 2 shown here is especially a CIC (“completely-in-canal”) device, but the statements also apply similarly to an IIC (“invisible-in-canal”) device and to other hearing aid types.
  • the antenna 6 is designed as a flexible printed circuit board having a conductor track structure 28 .
  • the flexible printed circuit board has a carrier layer 30 , which is sufficiently thin to be flexible, for example, the carrier layer 30 is between 20 ⁇ m and 200 ⁇ m thick.
  • the printed circuit board is also flexibly elastic and reversibly deformable.
  • the conductor track structure 28 implements those electrical properties of the printed circuit board which are required for an antenna 6 .
  • the conductor track structure 28 is therefore also referred to as an antenna structure.
  • the conductor track structure 28 is applied to the carrier layer 30 or embedded therein.
  • the conductor track structure 28 consists here of a conductive material or a combination of conductive materials.
  • the antenna 6 is a wire or a stamped part, produced from a conductive material.
  • the wire is accordingly brought into shape suitably to implement an antenna 6 .
  • the stamped part is stamped out, for example, from a metal foil or metal-coated film.
  • the wire or the stamped part then replaces the above-mentioned conductor track structure 28 and also does not require an additional carrier layer.
  • the wire or the stamped part emulates the described conductor track structure 28 here, is thus identical thereto in shape.
  • the statements on the conductor track structure 28 accordingly apply similarly to a wire or a stamped part.
  • a conductor track structure 28 , the wire, and the stamped part for implementing an antenna 6 essentially differ due to the different production.
  • a conductor track structure 28 , a wire, and/or a stamped part can be combined with one another as desired, so that then different parts of the antenna 6 are produced in different ways and formed differently.
  • the housing shell 8 is fundamentally formed like a shell, having a base 32 , which extends into the auditory canal when used as intended, and having an opening 34 , which then faces outward and is closed using the cover plate 10 .
  • the housing shell 8 is formed tapered in the direction of the base 32 .
  • a sound outlet 36 is arranged on the base 32 , via which sound is output from the receiver 24 in the direction of the eardrum.
  • the housing shell 8 is, roughly speaking, formed like a tunnel having a tapering diameter, as is also recognizable in FIGS. 2 - 4 . Viewed in cross section, the housing shell 8 is then formed ring-shaped.
  • the housing shell 8 and thus also its inner side 18 are formed bent or curved, thus have a bent profile.
  • the antenna 6 is bent at least once and thus adapted to a bend or curve of the inner side 18 .
  • the antenna 6 thus not only extends in a small and possibly planar subsection along the housing shell 8 , but rather is dimensioned so that a bend or curve is also covered. In the exemplary embodiments shown here, the antenna 6 even extends completely around the interior 18 and for this purpose is accordingly guided completely around along the inner side 18 once, as is recognizable particularly well in FIGS. 2 - 4 .
  • the antenna 6 is folded into a funnel shape here in order to extend along the housing shell 8 .
  • the funnel shape of the antenna 6 is also recognizable in FIG. 6 , in which the antenna 6 from FIG. 5 is shown in a folded state.
  • the antenna 6 is more or less rolled together starting from a planar state as in FIGS. 5 , 7 , 8 , 12 to form a funnel as in FIG. 6 and is then inserted into the housing shell 8 .
  • the antenna 6 is generally formed strip-shaped, even U-shaped here, having two ends which are guided toward one another during the folding and then possibly also overlap.
  • the antenna 6 extends at most once around the interior 18 , thus no longer being folded in multiple plies in particular.
  • the folded antenna 6 then has two openings 38 , which face approximately in the direction of the auditory canal.
  • One opening 38 faces in the direction of the opening 34 of the housing shell 8 , the other in the direction of the base 32 .
  • the antenna 6 is arranged completely inside the housing shell 8 .
  • the antenna 6 thus in particular does not protrude out of the housing 4 and is also not visible from the outside.
  • the antenna 6 is a dipole antenna, having two arms 40 , each forming one antenna pole.
  • the antenna poles are used for transmitting and/or receiving signals.
  • the two arms 40 are each manufactured from an electrically conductive material.
  • a capacitance 42 or capacitive structure 42 is formed at the end of each of the arms 40 , which are each formed here by a metal surface, which is attached to the respective arm 40 , so that in each case a capacitor is formed in particular.
  • the antenna 6 shown here is a folded dipole.
  • a respective arm 40 is formed from two conductors 44 , which extend adjacent to one another. The two conductors 44 are approximately equal in length (i.e., at most 20% difference).
  • One of the two conductors 44 of the arm 40 begins at the transmitting and receiving point 16 and ends at the capacitance 42 .
  • the other of the two conductors 44 begins at the capacitance 42 and ends at a corresponding conductor 44 of the other arm 40 .
  • the other arm 40 having capacitance 42 is designed similarly thereto.
  • a respective capacitance 42 is especially formed U-shaped here, having a middle leg 46 , starting from which two side legs 48 extend.
  • the two conductors 44 of an arm 40 are then attached to the middle leg 46 .
  • the two side legs 48 each extend in the direction of the two conductors 44 , even in parallel thereto here, and on opposite sides of the two conductors 44 , so that the two conductors 44 are located at the ends between the side legs 48 .
  • the conductors 44 and the capacitances 42 form a conductor track structure 28 , which is applied to a carrier layer 30 .
  • an inductance 50 or inductive structure 50 is formed at the end of each of the arms 40 .
  • a respective arm 40 is formed from a single conductor 44 , having a meandering profile, so that the respective arm 40 at the same time forms an inductance 50 .
  • the inductance 50 has eight bends. The same applies similarly to the other arm 40 .
  • the two arms 40 are moreover galvanically isolated from one another and run together at the transmitting and receiving point 16 of the antenna 6 , which also marks a point of the least distance of the two conductors 44 in relation to one another.
  • the conductors 44 which are inductances 50 at the same time, form a conductor track structure 28 , which is applied to a carrier layer 30 .
  • the arms 40 each follow the strip-shaped profile of the antenna 6 , so that in the inserted state, the arms 40 accordingly enclose the interior 18 of the housing shell 8 .
  • the two arms 40 and the two capacitances 42 or inductances 50 are moreover mirror symmetrical to one another.
  • a nonsymmetrical design is also possible in principle, however, in this case the antenna 6 optionally also has a symmetry element (not explicitly shown).
  • FIG. 8 Another embodiment is shown in FIG. 8 , in which the antenna 6 is a frame antenna, having two arms 40 , which run together on a first side to form the transmitting and receiving point 16 and which are connected on a second side, which is opposite to the first side, to a capacitance 52 .
  • the capacitance 52 is formed by a capacitor, having two electrodes 54 , each of which is connected to one of the arms 40 .
  • the capacitance 52 is simply formed by two opposing ends of the arms 40 and an interposed gap 56 .
  • a variant of the capacitance 52 is shown, which is formed in a single ply here, having two electrodes 54 which are jointly located in one ply of the antenna 6 and each have multiple fingers 58 , wherein the fingers 58 of the two electrodes 54 intermesh.
  • FIG. 10 a further variant of the capacitance 52 is shown, which is formed in two plies here, having two electrodes 54 which are arranged in different plies of the antenna 6 . One of the electrodes 54 is then connected by means of a through contact 60 to one of the arms 40 .
  • the antenna 6 Independently of the embodiment of the antenna 6 , its two arms 40 are located jointly in one plane or also ply in the exemplary embodiments shown. Also independently of the embodiment of the antenna 6 , the capacitances 42 , 52 or inductances 50 possibly used in each case are each either embodied as a separate component, which is inserted into the antenna 6 , or—as shown here— is already integrated into the antenna 6 during its production, for example printed on.
  • the antenna 6 has a first arm 62 and a second arm 64 , wherein only the first arm 62 is arranged inside the housing shell 8 .
  • the second arm 64 is formed along a pullout aid 66 of the housing 4 .
  • the pullout aid 66 is, for example, a thread or handle, for example made of plastic, and extends toward the outside and away from the housing 4 , so that the pullout aid 66 can be grasped by the user in the inserted state to then pull the entire hearing aid 2 out of the auditory canal by pulling.
  • the antenna 6 is then a nonsymmetrical antenna 6 here.
  • the second arm 64 is, for example, a single wire or is printed as a conductor track on the pullout aid 66 or is applied in another way to the pullout aid 66 or integrated therein.
  • the antenna 6 which has an arm 64 along the pullout aid 66 is formed either as a dipole antenna or as a monopole antenna.
  • An embodiment as a monopole antenna is shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 , an embodiment as a dipole antenna results, for example, upon combination with the statements on FIGS. 5 , 7 and 8 .
  • the first arm 62 is formed as a ground surface and forms a ground potential, so that the antenna 6 is then a monopole antenna, having the second arm 64 as an antenna pole. In this case, a symmetry element is not necessary.
  • the ground surface Since the ground surface is arranged inside the housing shell 8 , it also forms a shielding layer around the remaining components, which are arranged inside the housing shell 8 , so that these components are shielded against interference from the outside. As can be seen from the planar state of the ground surface shown in FIG. 12 , it has two ends 68 here, which are connected to one another in the inserted state of the antenna 6 , so that the ground surface is made ring-shaped or tunnel-like.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Acoustics & Sound (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Neurosurgery (AREA)
  • Otolaryngology (AREA)
  • Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Support Of Aerials (AREA)
US17/682,071 2021-03-01 2022-02-28 Hearing aid, antenna for a hearing aid, and method for producing a hearing aid Active 2042-05-01 US11924615B2 (en)

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DE102021201909.9 2021-03-01
DE102021201909.9A DE102021201909A1 (de) 2021-03-01 2021-03-01 Hörgerät, Antenne für ein Hörgerät und Verfahren zur Herstellung eines Hörgeräts

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Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20100158295A1 (en) 2008-12-19 2010-06-24 Starkey Laboratories, Inc. Antennas for custom fit hearing assistance devices
EP2725655A1 (fr) 2010-10-12 2014-04-30 GN Resound A/S Système d'antenne pour aide auditive
EP3133839A1 (fr) 2015-08-17 2017-02-22 Jay Rabel Antenne sans fil de prothèse auditive moulée dans la coque du dispositif
EP3185583A1 (fr) 2015-12-21 2017-06-28 GN ReSound A/S Appareil auditif équipé d'une antenne sur carte de circuit imprimé
US20190166437A1 (en) 2016-08-01 2019-05-30 Sivantos Pte. Ltd. Hearing aid apparatus and hearing aid device
EP3038382B1 (fr) 2014-12-22 2020-02-12 Oticon A/s Unité d'antenne pour un appareil auditif
US20200314566A1 (en) 2019-03-29 2020-10-01 Sonova Ag Hearing device with two-half loop antenna
EP3110174B1 (fr) 2015-06-24 2021-02-17 Oticon A/s Dispositif auditif comprenant une unité d'antenne et ligne de transmission blindée

Patent Citations (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20100158295A1 (en) 2008-12-19 2010-06-24 Starkey Laboratories, Inc. Antennas for custom fit hearing assistance devices
EP2725655A1 (fr) 2010-10-12 2014-04-30 GN Resound A/S Système d'antenne pour aide auditive
US20190320270A1 (en) 2010-10-12 2019-10-17 Gn Hearing A/S Antenna system for a hearing aid
EP3038382B1 (fr) 2014-12-22 2020-02-12 Oticon A/s Unité d'antenne pour un appareil auditif
EP3110174B1 (fr) 2015-06-24 2021-02-17 Oticon A/s Dispositif auditif comprenant une unité d'antenne et ligne de transmission blindée
EP3133839A1 (fr) 2015-08-17 2017-02-22 Jay Rabel Antenne sans fil de prothèse auditive moulée dans la coque du dispositif
US20170055088A1 (en) 2015-08-17 2017-02-23 Jay Rabel Hearing aid wireless antenna molded into the device shell
EP3185583A1 (fr) 2015-12-21 2017-06-28 GN ReSound A/S Appareil auditif équipé d'une antenne sur carte de circuit imprimé
US20190166437A1 (en) 2016-08-01 2019-05-30 Sivantos Pte. Ltd. Hearing aid apparatus and hearing aid device
US20200314566A1 (en) 2019-03-29 2020-10-01 Sonova Ag Hearing device with two-half loop antenna

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CN115002591A (zh) 2022-09-02
US20220279293A1 (en) 2022-09-01
EP4054208A1 (fr) 2022-09-07
DE102021201909A1 (de) 2022-09-01

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